Sola Scriptura: Part II

God’s View of His Word

The first thing we must understand is that we should strive to be like God. We are told in Leviticus 19:2 be holy, for I the Lord your God is holy, 1 John 2:6 says to walk in the same manner that He walked.

So in the area of His Word we must also regard it as important as He does. So let us take a look at how important God’s word is to Him so that we can follow in His steps.

The most important passage that I have seen in this area is Psalm 138:2c.

For You have magnified Your word according to all Your name.

As we take a look at this small part of Scripture hidden almost behind the great 139th Psalm, which speaks of God’s omniscience and omnipresence, we see this phrase: God has magnified His word according to all His name.

Let’s break this down:

God has magnified, or made great or has promoted, His word, according, which means to make above, to all Your name. The word name, to the Jews, meant not just how to identify their family but meant their entire essence, it was who they were, it meant their reputation or their glory.

So, God puts His word some sort of equality with His own essence and glory, making His word supreme and most important so that it is not ashamed by men. If God does this of His word how much should we also make the word of God so important.

God also has some warnings according to His word:

Deut 4:2 says not to add or subtract from His word; Deut 18:20 and Zechariah 13:3 say that if a prophet acts presumptuously or who says something that the Lord has not commanded; he shall die.

Because of this and because of the unity of the Godhead, when Christ came, He must also do the same if these things are true. He is the Word that became flesh, and Christ also is said to have come not for peace but with a sword, which is the same Greek word also spoken of in Hebrews 4:12, when the word of God is said to be sharper than any two edged sword. We also see Christ putting this in practice.

And He said to them, “O foolish men and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! “Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and to enter into His glory?” Then beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures.
Luke 24:25-27

Christ also refuted the temptation by the devil only by Scripture. He spoke of His death and resurrection by the story of Jonah, and spoke of who He was many a times by Scripture, especially when He read in the synagogue from Isaiah 61 to proclaim who He was. Christ actually uses their traditions to refute them when He uses the term: “you have heard it said” all through the Sermon on the Mount.

The Apostles View of the Word

Let’s take a look at 2 Peter 1:16-21

Notice first that Peter is saying that even though He saw the living Christ on the Mount of Transfiguration that the word of God is still more sure than even that. Or can also be interpreted: We have the even more sure prophetic word. The statement “more sure” means literally to be more stable and firm. Peter is stating that seeing Christ is nothing compared to the word of God.

Peter is also saying that experience, even in seeing Christ in His glorified state, does not match the Word of God. Peter did not say, we have man’s wisdom, man’s revelation, man’s tradition or anything else made more sure; no, only the word of God is made more sure. Very important to understand. Peter is relying only on God’s word and It alone.

Then we see in verse 21 that that no prophecy was by an act of human will but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.

This same word for “moved” is the same word used in 2 Timothy 4:13 when Paul tells Timothy to “bring the cloak which I left” The Holy Spirit did the same to these writers. He moved them. Understand that these men weren’t just dummies taking orders, nor were they just told what to write as a scribe would be told. We will never fully understand how this actually took place but we can have confidence that every single word that was penned by these men were made sure and breathed by God.

But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed! As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed!
Galatians 1:8,9

Notice that the Gospel has been received, not will receive or will receive more fully, but this is past tense, you received. If the canon is not closed, if there is revelation apart from God’s holy word, how can you adhere to this text of Scripture?

The God-breathed Text

Finally, let’s look at the clincher: 2 Tim 3:16,17

As we read this text it is vital to know some background.

Who wrote 2 Timothy? Paul
To whom? Timothy in 66ad great fire was 64 a.d
What is Paul’s relationship to Timothy? His elder and mentor, led Timothy to Christ
Is the date important? During Nero’s reign (54-66 ad)
Timing? Last epistle of Paul before he died
What is the book’s theme? Handbook for the soldier of Christ; Fighting against heretical teachers and standing firm in the faith
What is the prior verses speaking of? The delusion of hater’s of God
What is the succeeding verses speaking of? Preaching the word
Main subject of verses 16 and 17: Scripture (Peter calls Paul’s letters scripture: 2 Peter 3:15,16)
What parts of scripture? All Scripture: Both Old and New Testaments (1 Tim 5:18; 2 Peter 3:16) Notice that Paul uses this illustration in 1 Tim and now we look in 2 Tim when he says, all Scripture…Paul knew what they were writing was Scripture. Inspired: only use in NT, means divinely breathed into, so then ties the OT with the NT when the prophets would say, “God spoke to me saying…” also can be seen in Jeremiah 1:9 when God said that He put the words in Jeremiah’s mouth
Teach: edify the church, doctrine
Reproof: only used one other time in NT, means to correct error and to convict a sinner
Correction: (only use in NT) bring back those who are backsliding
Training in righteousness: sanctification after justification
Man of God: Used only one other time in NT and that was in 1 Tim 6:11
Adequate: means perfect or complete (only use in NT)
Equipped: means to be equipped fully or thoroughly (only used one other time in NT)
Every: literally means all, any, every, the whole
Good work: same as used in Mark 10:18 when Jesus calls God the Father “good” and same as used in James 1:17 when James says that every good gift comes from above

In the end as we see these verses, Scripture is mentioned to refute haters of God and is Paul’s last instruction to Timothy as the way to run the church as we found in teaching, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness.

Think of this: Scripture does everything according to Paul. It really shows the pattern of the person who is unsaved all the way to the life of the saved. (follow along with me in 2 Timothy 3:16,17)Scripture teaches doctrine, then it rebukes sin, then it corrects sin in those lives and then, once saved, it instructs to righteousness. Why? So that we as men would be perfect (remember be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect in Matthew 5:48), and thoroughly equipped or maybe better put, the only way to be equipped fully, for every single good work for God.

It is the only way that he mentions that makes the man of God perfect to do God’s good work. Romans 8:8 says no one in the flesh can please God. So how does Paul now tell us how we can do good, how can we live good and how will we be equipped to do good?

He only mentions Scripture, he doesn’t mention tradition, he doesn’t mention experience, he doesn’t mention cultural changes, he doesn’t mention a pope, and he doesn’t mention marketing schemes: he mentions Scripture.

What is Timothy told to do with this Scripture in the next chapter? Preach it in season and out of season! We must understand how special this passage of Scripture is, for so many words are used here that are hardly used elsewhere, I think this is important and intended to continue to draw attention to the detail not only of this part of Scripture but to Scripture itself.

I cannot help but draw our attention back to the great reformers words when Luther said:

My conscience is captive to the Word of God, I will not recant anything, for to go against conscience is neither honest nor safe. Here I stand, I cannot do otherwise. God help me. Amen.

Martin Luther (as he stood at the Diet of Worms)

Where is your confidence? Where are your convictions? How do you answer those questions posed by men seeking knowledge? Do you rely on your own attempts to describe an infinite God by a foolish man? Or do you rely solely on the inspired word that was forever ordained in heaven by the Creator Himself.

This Sola stands between you and a study that will enrich you deeply. If you adhere to Sola Scriptura we have a common ground to move forward to the next four Solas. If you do not, I am afraid that the gap that has grown between you and I has grown to a width too far for me to cross.

When someone asks how can an axe head float, how can a man walk on water, how can a dead man come to life, how can a few loaves become a thousand? I simply ask: How can a finite creature question his infinite Creator.

May you be able to say the same.

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Sola Scriptura: Part I

As we jump into our study of the Five Solas of the Reformation we start at where we find our foundation. If we find these Solas starting at the Reformation let us take a look again at some quotes of the fathers of the Reformation:

My conscience is captive to the Word of God, I will not recant anything, for to go against conscience is neither honest nor safe. Here I stand, I cannot do otherwise. God help me. Amen.

Martin Luther (as he stood at the Diet of Worms)

Holy Scripture is the permanent authority for every Christian, and the rule of faith and of all human perfection, then it became of prime importance to have the scriptures in the language of the people. For as much as the bible contains Christ, that is all that is necessary for salvation, it is necessary for all men, nor for priests alone. It alone is the supreme law that is to rule Church, State, and Christian life, without human tradition and statutes.

John Wyclif

We, those who adhere to Sola Scriptura, stand on the shoulders of these giants of faith. Before we get into our teaching of this great Sola, let us first define it:

We find no where else to guide our lives, our knowledge of God or His plan for our lives. Not in tradition, not in man, not in creation, not in ourselves, not in reason, but our full and complete rule of faith only comes from Sola Scriptura.

Also, it is important to know that Sola Scriptura is NOT Scripture with no fellowship or teaching from anyone else, which is the belief of Solo Scriptura Don’t get the two confused. But we stand with the Berean’s instead and believe as they:

Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so
Acts 17:11

Like Wyclif and the Bereans, I believe that Scripture alone is our guide and rule of faith, only explained and expounded on by men, but not of men nor of traditions solely.

I believe that many say they believe in this doctrine but don’t fully live this out. To understand Solus Christus, Sola Gratia, Sola Fide and Soli Deo Gloria fully; you must believe this doctrine first and then practice it. Any time we state, “this is the way I see it” we are abandoning Scripture alone. Your beliefs of everything pertaining to life and godliness should reflect sound exegesis and exposition of the Holy Scriptures and them alone.

Only when I truly started to do this did I turn from the belief of free will and reason, to bondage of the will and God’s truth. But we will get into that when going through Sola Gratia. So let us look at our study on this great subject that was so critical in the protestant reformation.

A Little on the Canon of Scripture

I will not be exhaustive here so bear with me. If you have additional questions regarding the canon of Scripture I am more than willing to discuss further through comments or email. The first thing to understand is simply this:

Forever, O LORD, Your word is settled in heaven.
Psalm 119:89

What is great about this passage is that when we think of forever as humans we think of only the future. But, this Hebrew word means for eternity past and eternity future. We need to understand the importance of God’s word as it has forever in eternity past and future has been settled, or better put, appointed or established.

This is why David could say that in Psalm 139 that his days were already numbered and that God knew his words before they were said. God is eternal and so is His word and neither Him nor His word can be moved or changed.

If God’s word is forever settled in heaven then it is only acceptable for His people to understand that if it has already been settled God does not react to man’s disobedience, as Mormons and Jehovah’s Witnesses would contend. They both reinterpret “man’s mistakes” in the word because of man’s error. Both contend that they were told by God that we had it all wrong and needed a better interpretation.

The Mormons take it a step further and came out with a completely new revelation with the Book of Mormon. I would contend that if these cults are true this means that no one has been saved since the days of the apostles and therefore God needed to “react” to man’s sin; this cannot and does not happen. Because, forever God’s word has been preordained in Heaven.

As far as the Canon of Scripture the first to “formally” put together a list, and I use that word, formally, loosely, was Athanasius in 367. This list was then complimented by Jerome and Augustine putting their stamp of approval on the matter. Done so as almost a, “of course” statements by the two. Jerome, who translated what Catholics use in the Latin Vulgate (405 AD), said that the 66 books were inspired, yet, the Apocrypha, while helpful, were only to be used for history and were not inspired.

This list was not formally refuted until the Council of Trent in 1545 by the Roman Catholics to refute the Reformers. The reason is because the Apocrypha is the only source that contains such things as purgatory, penance, indulgences, praying for the dead, etc. And those references are vague at their very best.

Just a quick sidenote, 1 Maccabees 9:27 and 14:41 state that there were no prophets at the time that these revolts were happening, that is why it is known as the period of silence by God between the time of Malachi and John the Baptist.

Hebrews 1:1,2 sum up my beliefs on the issue:

God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world.
Hebrews 1:1,2

And when he speaks of the last times (or last days), he intimates that there is no longer any reason to expect any new revelation; for it was not a word in part that Christ brought, but the final conclusion. It is in this sense that the Apostles take the last times and the last days. And Paul means the same when he says, “Upon whom the ends of the world are come.” (1 Corinthians 10:11.) If God then has spoken now for the last time, it is right to advance thus far; so also when you come to Christ, you ought not to go farther: and these two things it is very needful for us to know.
John Calvin

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All Men Should Watch This

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Five Solas of the Reformation: Introduction

I wrote this series over two years ago, but wanted to bring it back again as I have many different readers and really think that this topic, the Five Solas, needs constant focus in today's Christendom. I hope that you enjoy the content and I hope that we can have some great conversations on their importance.

As we start this interesting and thought provoking study, it is essential that we come to the Five Solas with some background of where they came. They do not stand alone without explanation nor are they understood without complete exegesis of the meaning behind them. Today we will look at where these Five Solas came from and glean a little from their meanings. We will look at the key men of the reformation, such as John Wyclif, John Hus and Martin Luther. We will look at the key doctrines of the reformation that made the Pope and his papacy stand on their heads.

What I will tell you is that this post is just to give us a better understanding of the forest before we look at each tree. What I mean by this is that if we are to look at the individual trees of the Solas we must first look at the overarching forest in the reformation, the men and the doctrines.

There will be some things concerning the Solas that might tear at your conscience, as they did mine the first time I looked into them about 10 years ago, and even more so as I have studied them ferociously for the past 3 years.

Key Men of the Reformation

Who is usually credited as the key to the protestant reformation? Martin Luther. The most overlooked man then must be John Wyclif, who is nicknamed as the Morning Star of the Reformation. D’Aubigne, a reformation historist, stated:

If Luther and Calvin were the fathers of the Reformation then Wyclif was its grandfather

We don’t know much of Wyclif, we don’t even know where or exactly when he was born although some think he was born in 1330. He received his doctorate from Oxford in 1372 and immediately was risen to the leading professor of Oxford.

The Key year for Wyclif was 1378, called the Great Schism, when one Pope tried to excommunicate another Pope and this led to Wyclif’s beliefs to shape the reformation that would not come for another 150 years.

In one sense Wyclif welcomed the Great Schism. The spectacle of two rival popes excommunicating each other seemed to him to be a confirmation for all to see of the spiritual bankruptcy of the office and the need to put something else in its place. As the schism continued however, Wyclif’s view hardened. He came to believe that the pope was Antichrist. He states: “Christ is truth the pope is the principle of falsehood. Christ lived in poverty, the pope labors for worldly magnificence. Christ refused temporal dominion, the pope seeks it.”

Church History in Plain Language, Pg. 226, 227

This meant that it was time for Wyclif to take action as he in turn became a protestant. Wyclif believed that the best way for the spreading of the Gospel was for it to be preached and what better way to preach than to be a priest.

Wyclif truly understood that the only way for one to be saved was through the preaching of the Word, as stated in Romans 10.

The problem, Wyclif said, was that the priests of his day were “found in taverns and hunting; and playing at their tables, instead of learning God’s law and preaching.”

So he decided to take action with what were called Lollards or “one who mumbles or mutters” as was given them the title by those who hated them, but in actuality Wyclif meant for them to be “poor priests.”

They were men trained usually by Wyclif himself to go to the villages and preach the Gospel. Instead of great robes and honor they were barefoot and dressed in robes made of wool, they went from village to village dependant on their fellow man for shelter and food. They carried with them a few pages of Wyclif’s bible and tracts that were made for their teaching. Many came to faith under this blue collar mission of Wyclif.

The word of God was brought to the lowly as Christ intended.

Wyclif ended up dying after multiple strokes at his home in Lutterworth in 1384. His followers were hunted down, were all expelled from Oxford or told to denounce their views. Wyclif’s teachings, thirty years later were dispelled as heresy and his books and papers were all burned along with his bones.

One of his biggest proponents was John Hus of Southern Bohemia (Czech Republic). He took Wyclif’s writings and continued to preach against the Pope and for the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. On the wall of Bethlehem Chapel, where Hus preached, it showed many images of the abuse of the pope. Such as:

The pope rode a horse; Christ walked barefoot. Jesus washed the disciples feet; the pope preferred to have his kissed.

Hus’ sermons were widely followed as he was very fiery in his zeal for the true church of Christ and for the true bride.

Because of this Rome rallied against him and brought false heresy charges against him for doctrines he never taught, he was thrown into prison in Constance before his day of execution he prayed this in his cell:

O most holy Christ, draw me, weak as I am, after Thyself, for if Thou dost not draw us we cannot follow Thee. Strengthen my spirit, that it may be willing. If the flesh is weak, let Thy grace precede us; come between and follow, for without Thee we cannot go for Thy sake to cruel death. Give me a fearless heart, a right faith, a firm hope, a perfect love, that for Thy sake I may lay down my life with patience and joy. Amen.

Hus refused to give in to save his life. He would not recant his actual teachings against the Pope or his false system. He stated, “I have said and I would not, for a chapel full of gold, recede from the truth.”

As he was finally taken to his burning in 1415 he knelt to pray and the marshal of the empire asked him if he would recant and save his life, this was Hus’ response:

God is my witness that the evidence against me is false. I have never thought nor preached except with the one intention of winning men, if possible, from their sins. In the truth of the gospel I have written, taught, and preached; today I will gladly die.

By the end of the 15th century the Papacy succeeded in crushing the works of Wyclif and Hus until the day of Luther: the man named the wild boar in the vineyard.

Martin Luther: born in 1483 to a miner he went to university to study to be a lawyer and finished his undergrad and master’s very quickly, but in 1505 everything changed. He was caught in a thunderstorm and a bolt of lightening knocked him to the ground and he called out to God saying, “St. Anne (God’s patroness of miners), save me! And I’ll become a monk.” He was spared and much to his parent’s discord, he kept his vow.

He quickly was risen to the chair of biblical studies at the newly opened Wittenberg University and was one that was very hard on himself and on his sin. When he was about to head his first Mass he stated:

I was utterly stupefied and terror-stricken. I thought to myself, “Who am I that I should lift up mine eyes or raise my hands to the divine majesty? For I am dust and ashes and full of sin, and I am speaking of the living, eternal and true God.

1515 is probably one of the biggest years of the protestant church for it was the year that Luther was studying Romans and came across Romans 1:17

For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "BUT THE RIGHTEOUS man SHALL LIVE BY FAITH."

Luther saw that it was God’s righteousness that was given to man by and through faith alone, not by the man’s merit. Let the journey begin.

In 1517 a man named John Tetzel came through Germany selling indulgences, which was a way for the Church of Rome to raise money; in this case it was for St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. Tetzel would use the phrase: “Once the coin into the coffer rings, a soul from purgatory heavenward springs.”

To Luther this was at least bad theology if not worse. He promptly wrote up his 95 theses and nailed it to the Wittenburg door on October 31st, 1517 and that day the spark that was soon to be spread called the Reformation started.

Earlier that year, in September, Luther would pen the lesser known 97 theses in which he calls for the church to return to its Augustinian theology instead of Aristotle’s. Luther states that Aristotle placed too much emphasis on reason and states that his influence caused the downfall of the Church’s theology, namely that man was good, and that man had the ability of his will to choose good, about freedom and merit.

This concept goes all the way back to Augustine’s fight against Pelagius in the early 5th century, where Pelagius contended that man was not born into sin, and therefore had a free will and could freely choose good.

Luther was quickly denounced of a man preaching “dangerous doctrines” and Luther, willing to accept a final answer from Rome, asked the Pope and the priests for Scriptural proof that he was wrong. This led Luther down the line of not only questioning the Pope’s power through indulgences and forgiving of sin but now into what we now know as Scripture alone.

In 1521 the pope declared Luther a heretic and excommunicated him and called him to the Diet (or assembly) of Worms and asked him to defend his writings, Luther explained:

My conscience is captive to the Word of God, I will not recant anything, for to go against conscience is neither honest nor safe. Here I stand, I cannot do otherwise. God help me. Amen.

Luther was given 21 days until his arrest and death but was saved by the prince of Saxony and given a home at the Wartburg Castle where much of Luther’s translation of the New Testament from Latin into German.

Many of the German towns started to tear down the statues and other relics of the Roman Catholic church and Luther, in 1522, returned to Wittenburg and started the movement of Protestantism.

Luther was followed up by great men, namely Melanchthon, Zwingli and Calvin who took Luther’s thoughts of Justification by Faith alone to the next generation. In fact, Luther said of Calvin, “I might have entrusted the whole of this controversy to him from the beginning.”

Key Doctrines of the Reformation

Dominion or Lordship

The Roman Catholic church had much property and also much control during this time; Wyclif’s first book was one that called out those; not only laymen but also on the clergy of the church, that if they had sin in their lives that they too could be in contempt according to the government and should have their resources and land revoked and given back to the governing authorities. Basically this was the start of the doctrine that we are all priests in God’s eyes as stated in Rev 1, all are equal and there shall be the same ‘standards’ of the Pope and his papacy as there are to the peasants.

Two popes were serving at the same time and just added more “fuel to Wyclif’s fire”

The Church

Wyclif taught that the body of believers were Christ’s church and the only head was that of Christ and not the pope. Luther also stated that the church was not made up by those in Monastic society or one that involved the hierarchy of the Roman Catholic church, but was only made up of those who God chose to elect where there was no bounds to the sex or stature.

The Eucharist and Transubstantiation (Accepted by RCC in 1215)

This belief that the bread and the wine actually become the body and blood of Christ was declared as a “blasphemous deceit” and a “veritable abomination of desolation in the holy places,” by John Wyclif.

In his lectures in 1381 Wyclif stated:

The consecrated host we see upon the altar, is neither Christ, nor any part of Him, but an effectual sign of Him; and that transubstantiation rests upon no scriptural ground.

Wyclif stood alone when he taught this new thought on the Eucharist. Although it took all the way to Zwingli to get the correct interpretation of the bread and the wine as mere representation, Wyclif and Luther started the pebble down the hill so to speak.

The Scriptures

Holy Scripture is the permanent authority for every Christian, and the rule of faith and of all human perfection, then it became of prime importance to have the scriptures in the language of the people. For as much as the bible contains Christ, that is all that is necessary for salvation, it is necessary for all men, nor for priests alone. It alone is the supreme law that is to rule Church, State, and Christian life, without human tradition and statutes.

John Wyclif

Wyclif and his fellow scholars translated Jerome’s Latin Vulgate in its’ entirety to the common language of the day, so that all could know Christ, not by Pope but by reading and hearing it in their language to be understood by all.

Neither the testimony of Augustine nor Jerome nor any other saint should be accepted except in so far as it was based upon Scripture. Christ’s law is best and enough, and the other laws men should not take, but as branches of God’s law.

Free Will vs Bondage of the Will (election of the saints)

Wyclif was a predestinarian, like Augustine and the early church fathers and of course the apostles themselves.

One’s election, according to Wyclif had nothing to do with whether or not they were a priest, pope or monk nor was it conditioned on whether or not they went to Mass, paid indulgences or penances or any other of the priesthood fallacies.

Wyclif anticipates Luther’s doctrine of Justification by Faith alone, God does not see classes or races of men or women, we are all equal. And we are all chosen by God’s grace and nothing to do with who we are or what we have done.

This was also led by Luther’s belief in Justification by Faith alone and in his writing of “The Bondage of the Will” Luther states this in his opening:

It is not irreligious, wasteful, or superficial, but essentially healthy and necessary, for a Christian to know whether or not his will has anything to do in matters pertaining to salvation. Indeed, let me tell you, this is the hinge on which our discussion turns, the crucial issue between us; our aim is, simply, to investigate what ability "free will" has, in what respect it is the subject of divine action and how it stands related to the grace of God.

Luther also states later in his life:

Though I lived as a monk without reproach, I felt that I was a sinner before God with an extremely disturbed conscience. I could not believe that he was placated by my satisfaction. I did not love, yes, I hated the righteous God who punishes sinners, and secretly, if not blasphemously, certainly murmuring greatly, I was angry with God, and said, “ As if indeed it is not enough, that miserable sinners, eternally lost through original sin, are crushed by every kind of calamity by the law of the Decalogue, without having God add pain to pain by the gospel and also by the gospel threatening us with his righteousness and wrath. Thus I raged with a fierce and troubled conscience.

He wondered how one could not hate a God who comes only with righteous demands that cannot be met. He came to a realization that when God, speaks of righteousness, he is not speaking of the righteousness that he demands, but when he speaks of righteousness in the gospel, he is speaking of the righteousness that he gives in Christ.

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Jim Gaffigan Making Fun of Christmas and Easter: Hilarious

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Satan Debate: Is He a Reality?

*image courtesy of Mars Hill blog

I would love to go to this event here in Seattle, but it seems as though Mars Hill was only given a minor amount of tickets and gave them out very quickly. So, I will be watching it on March 26th like the rest of you. Check it out, looks very interesting. I will say that the last time I saw Deepak Chopra, he was debating with John MacArthur on Larry King and was more heated than an IFB preaching against Hollywood. I will say that MacArthur did a fine job with handling Deepak's strange ideas.

Here are the details:

The devil -- also known as Satan, Lucifer and Beelzebub -- has become the primary antagonist in almost every major religion. He is seen as the rebel, a serpent and a fallen angel who tempts mortals into committing sin, and preys upon their despair. But does Satan really exist?

That question will be debated Friday, March 20, when "Nightline" tackles the controversial and sensitive issue in the third installment of the "Face-Off" series.

The "Nightline Face-Off" launched two years ago by asking the question "Does God Exist?" The Face-Off aired on ABCNews.com and more than 15,000 comments were posted on the Web site as viewers engaged in the debate.

The conversation will pick up with a debate on the devil in Seattle at the Mars Hill Church, moderated by Dan Harris, who covers faith issues for the network.

Watch the "Nightline Face-Off" Thursday, March 26, 2009, on ABCNews.com and at 11:35 p.m. on "Nightline"

On one side of the debate is Deepak Chopra, famous philosopher and author of "Jesus: A Story of Enlightenment" and Bishop Carlton Pearson, author of "The Gospel of Inclusion." They will argue that Satan does not exist.

Chopra is the founder of the Chopra Center for Wellbeing in California. He specializes in mind-body medicine and gives lectures and speeches around the world.

Pearson began his spiritual journey as a fourth-generation Pentecostal minister who enjoyed a vast following as an heir apparent to Oral Roberts. But his revelation almost a decade ago that a loving God would not condemn people to hell just because they are not Christian caused him to question the very existence of hell and the devil. It also caused him to lose the vast majority of his congregation. Since then, he has become an independent spiritual leader in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and preaches his message that God loves all mankind.

On the other side will be Pastor Mark Driscoll of the Mars Hill Church and Annie Lobert, founder of the international Christian ministry "Hookers for Jesus," who will argue that the devil does exist, and has made a personal impact on their lives.

Mark Driscoll is the co-founder and pastor at Mars Hill Church and also the author of the "Books You'll Actually Read" series.

The church, founded in 1996, has almost 8,000 members. Most of his parishioners call him "Pastor Mark" but, in a recent interview with "Nightline," he said, "You can call me Pastor Dude if you want."

Driscoll is often referred to as the "indy rock star" of the evangelicals. His 20-something members, who arrive on Sundays wearing torn jeans and sporting tattoos, are there to hear Driscoll's edgy sermons.

Lobert, a former Las Vegas escort, now preaches the Christian message in her effort to rescue girls and young women from the sex trade.

"Nightline" recently profiled Lobert and her organization, "Hookers for Jesus." Her mission is to save prostitutes from the streets and, if possible, bring them to church and to God. A one-time escort, Lobert now enlists other ex-prostitutes and volunteers from a local church to reach out to working girls on the street, in the casinos, even over the Internet.

Her journey out of the industry began with a terrifying moment. "One night I was just so desperate, I was telling God I hated him. 'I hate you. Look what you did to my life.'"

At one point Lobert was living in her car and was addicted to cocaine.

"[It was the] very lowest point of my entire life," she said. "Just hitting rock bottom. I took a hit of [cocaine]. I didn't mean to try to commit suicide. It just kind of happened. I had a heart attack and I remember everything turning black. Fading to black. And just this total emptiness and there was nobody there."

Thinking she was surely going to hell, Lobert's instincts kicked in.

"I said, 'Jesus, please help me. I am alone. Please help me.'" After surviving the overdose, she began to turn her life around and formed "Hookers for Jesus."

In Seattle, representatives from both sides will fill up the church to watch the debate. After, they will be encouraged to ask questions.

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Paedo vs. Credo: It's On!

Ok...so not as serious as one might think. Because March Madness is on, I thought I would throw out a bet idea to my buddy, and preacher extraordinaire, Tim Lien. Although he sprinkles anything that moves, I still very much like his preaching but I keep my kids away in fear that he will try and attack them with water under the banner of the covenant. We are both in another March Madness pool together and I decided to throw out this bet idea, and he, being a little off his rocker, took it.

So here is what is going to happen. If I win, he has to make a sign, hold it up, take a picture and place it on his blog. It will look something like this:

If he wins, which is as likely as seeing a Presbyterian preach without a suit on, I will show off this sign on this blog:

I will keep everyone up to date after each day on who is winning. Should be a great way to settle the Paedo vs Credo debate once and for all.

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Letter from Page CXVI

I received this email from the band Page CXVI and figured I would share it with all. I am not special, they sent this to probably everyone who downloaded their new album. Again, if you have not downloaded this album, go now...it is free and will not be available for free after March 25th. Here is what they wrote:

Friends,

We'd like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has
downloaded the Hymns project over the last week. We've met many
wonderful people over the last few years as a band at the churches and
conferences we've partnered with, and we are pleased to say that what
started with telling a just a few pastors and friends has spread to
ministry partners in all 50 states and 104 countries.

Thank you to all of you who have blogged and twittered about the
project. Because of you, the project has grown well past what we
thought possible. We have become first hand witnesses of how closely
connected the church community is. Please be encouraged to continue to
share the hymns project with your fellow pastors, worship leaders,
missionaries, and youth leaders during the final week of the ministry
giveaway. The last day of the giveaway will be Wednesday, March 25th.

The link for the giveaway is

http://pagecxvi.com/share

For all of you who were wondering where our name "Page CXVI" came
from, we'd love to share with you a little bit about it. Page CXVI is
a reference to page 116 of our personal copy of The Magicians Nephew
by C.S. Lewis. It is a poignant passage where Aslan begins to sing
Narnia into creation out of a black void. One of the characters,
Digory, describes it as,

"...it was the most beautiful noise he had ever heard. It was so
beautiful he could hardly bear it."

As the hymns project began to form, our hope was to wrap the strong
lyrical content of the hymns, with music that portrayed our personal
reactions to the life that God has brought to our "black void." The
most personal song on the album is by far "Joy" with the counterpart,
"It is Well" was written by Horatio Spafford after losing his son to
scarlet fever, all of his real estate investments to the Great Chicago
Fire, and his 4 remaining children to the sinking of a boat. The
contemplative turn from "Joy" into the lines from "It is Well" comes
out of our own personal tragedy this past year and combines a Psalm
like lamentation with hope. Our intention with all of these songs is
to be a source of comfort and encouragement to all who hear them.

Thank you again for listening and sharing.

Page CXVI

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Who Killed God?

Last year I watched the Mars Hill Good Friday service, and have to say, it was very well done. Of course Red Letter played some amazing music as usual which made the evening that much better.

I will once again watch it this year, and interestingly enough, they have a live feed this year. I would go, but it is my youngest boy's birthday on the 10th, so I want to spend time with him.

The question I have is this: Can God die? I know that Jesus is God and he was and is the God/Man. But, is it accurate to say that God died on Calvary, or was it Christ's humanity that died that fateful day?

Here is the link to the live feed and below is the "trailer" video for the Good Friday service at Mars Hill Seattle this year. I also included under that the video from last year's service.

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What Should I Pray For?

The title of this post couldn't be more ambiguous. The question comes because I have been praying for my father through this latest bout of craziness. What I have found is that my brother, who is a charismatic, has been praying for my father's arthritis to be completely healed and done away with. It is quite odd...growing up in the Southern Baptist Convention, I am Reformed and my brother is Charismatic...wow.

Anyways. My father has had both of the major kinds of arthritis: rheumatoid (where the body attacks itself and causes major bone loss) and osteoarthritis (this causes major trauma to the joints, causing constant pain). He has had arthritis since he was 15 years old and has had 16 major operations. He is going to be 54 next month, so that is a major surgery ever 2 and a half years. He has lived a very painful life, but if you ask him he is "fine". He never complains but believes that God has allowed this serious condition in his life to point him more to the glories and comfort of Jesus. Honestly, when he dies, it will be one of the best days of my life, because my father, who is the toughest man I know (even though he is 5'7 and a little hunched over), will feel no more pain and see the glories of Christ face to face. This sounds morbid, but if you had to see your dad in immense pain every day of his life, you would hopefully say the same thing. He loves Jesus, so I would see him again. Medically speaking, he is a walking miracle. There is no way he should be able to walk, be able to move his arms or go to work. Yet, every day this is what he does, without complaint. It is thorn in the flesh that God has given him to praise God even more.

I bring all this up to allow you, the reader, to better understand how serious his condition is. He has been told by many charismatics that if he just had enough faith that he would not have this disease. Honestly, if I saw these people, I would probably punch them in the face and ask if their face is hurting, then ask, "Where is your faith now?" I know that is a bad response, but I get sick of people trying to take away hope and faith that my dad has in Christ by pointing to his disease. I honestly want to tell those people to go to hell. But, that isn't godly either, so I don't.

I believe in our God. I believe he is all powerful, I believe that he controls all things in the palm of his hands. I believe that he is the great physician. But, I also know that he works within our natural laws for the most part. There are times of great signs and wonders which are unexplainable, and for that, this question comes.

What should I pray for in regards to my dad? I know that I should pray for God's will to be done for his glory, which is exactly the thrust of my whole prayer life. But, God also tells us to make our requests be known. What I pray for, in regards to my dad is simply the oppression of pain. I don't believe that his arthritis is all the sudden going to be gone. It would be the same if I was praying for a guy who lost his arm. I wouldn't pray that it would grow back, I would pray that he would be able to function without it.

The question comes, "Am I of little faith in regards to the prayers for my dad?" My charismatic brother is praying that my dad's arthritis to be gone and healed. I am not sure if there is a right answer here, but I feel either his prayer is ignorant, or mine is of little faith. Although, as long as he is not putting my dad's sickness in direct linkage to my dad's faith, I do greatly covet my brother's faith in this.

So, I ask for your comments and guidance on this. What are your thoughts on this? What would your prayers be for your parent if this is what they were going through every day of their life?

Is anyone among you sick? Then he must call for the elders of the church and they are to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; and the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him. Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.

James 5:14-16

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Just trying to help out my homeschooled homies

Before you get too mad at this post, know that I like to poke fun of my friends that have decided to have school on their couch. But, for some reason they still love me and allow me into their world of school on video, the lunch lady also called mom and where getting out of schooling because of snow is non-existant. I care about my homeschooled friends. Some have recently asked me to speak at their senior celebration. Not sure if that was smart...asking a sarcastic jerk that was public schooled to be the emcee at a homeschool function? Why not just give your daughters over to crack addicts?

Anyways...I am already going to get a lot of emails for what I stated above...which is fine, because that gives me more material to use for jokes.

What I want to do is simply warn my homeschooled friends. I saw a commercial for something that I know you think is pretty cool and probably already ordered one for your whole family. I know you were upset that they didn't have any in plaid, but turquoise blue will work. This is just a warning. The product is not cool. It is not something you should buy. Stay away from it. I know you want to get one and wear it while you watch Little House on the Prairie, but please resist the temptation like you resist a science teacher teaching evolution. Although this product looks very useful and will make your Trekkie friends all jealous, please do not pick up the phone. Although you might look like someone from Star Wars if you wear it, know that Star Wars isn't really up on fashion. So, the more you can stay away from looking like someone on the set of Star Wars the better. Anyways...not sure what I am talking about? Take a look at the video below....and remember...no matter what...do not pick up your rotary phone and call.

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Hey Dirtbag...The Sermon is For You!

If you are of Arminian persuasion, you probably want to kindly skip this post because it will make as much sense as Weight Watchers saying they "aren't a diet but a way of life." Whatever. Anyways, one of the issues I sometimes face while I am either preaching or while I am sitting in the crowd of hypocrites (me included), is noticing who is in the crowd and who isn't.

I will be sitting there and listening to the sermon thinking, "Wow, what a great point, I hope 'so-and-so' heard that." Or if they aren't present, I might think something like, "I really wish 'so-and-so' was here because they really need to hear this." As I am thinking this, I am usually smiling like Benny Hinn counting his money and shaking my head in agreement with the preacher. But, the realization is this: How prideful do you have to be to hope that others are hearing the message without realizing YOU are the one that should most concern you in hearing the message?

Everytime this happens with me I get very frustrated at my contentness of self in regards to the message preached. What I have realized is that if I am a good Calvinist, I should understand that everyone that is at the worship service is there by the hand of God and everyone that isn't there was retrained by the hand of God. So, what I need to understand is that it isn't that person that missed the service who needs to hear this message the most, it is me.

"Even from eternity I am He,
And there is none who can deliver out of My hand;
I act and who can reverse it?"
Isaiah 43:13

"I know that You can do all things,
And that no purpose of Yours can be thwarted.
Job 42:2

Surely these verses have a much greater meaning than who is in attendance at church. But, with any truth, the greater meaning of the truth will prove the lesser meaning.

Now, this doesn't mean that those who aren't there don't need to hear the message or that they are being godly for missing it, but what I need to keep reminding myself is that I am the greatest sinner and the one who needs to hear this message preached the most. Not anyone else. So, when I look around to make sure others are hearing the message, maybe I should carry a small mirror around and look at myself first.

This is the most basic understanding of the gospel. That I need Jesus most. That I need to judge myself first.

“Do not judge so that you will not be judged. “For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you. “Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? “Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ and behold, the log is in your own eye? “You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.
Matthew 7:1-5

Here are some quick things you can do to better put forth examination of the preaching every Sunday:

1. Pray that God would bring to light what you need to hear during the sermon. Do this before you get to church. I would say to continue this practice throughout the week.

2. During the sermon, think of why God has you in the pew or folding chair, to hear this message this week.

3. Think of how you can see the glory of Christ in your life because of the sermon, and how God can exemplify his name even more clearer through you because of the sermon.

4. Ask others how you could apply this sermon in your life and what points they think you need to improve on the most.

5. Pray for change in your heart.

6. Finally, you are now hopefully ready to ask God how you can use the sermon to edify others to show them the glory of Christ.

This list isn't perfect, but if you are like me, too often I think the sermon is for others and not for myself. I thank God that "that person" is in attendance when humility is preached. I just pray that they don't get up to go to the bathroom when God is about to apply the sermon to their heart. I seriously am like an Arminian sometimes when it comes to the sermon preached. What a dirtbag I am. So, from one dirtbag to another: The sermon is for you so that you will learn more about your filthiness and the glory and honor of our hero, Jesus Christ.

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Free Hymns with Re-Written Music Compilations

I love old school hymns, but most of them put me to sleep because of the instruments and how slow they seem to take to develop. This is pretty sweet though. Some re-written compilations of some old school hymns. Better yet, they are free. Here is the link: Page CXVI

HT: Dwayne Forehand

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Thank You for the Prayers and Update on Dad

I have been overwhelmed with the amount of people around the world praying for my father. It is humbling to say the least. When my dad went into the hospital it was 50/50 whether he would live or die, and if the doctors were honest, they would have said that the probability of death was more likely than him living. The problem? God's will was for him to live.

When I spoke to a doctor yesterday, he said that my father is at the point of just waiting for him to recover. They expect a full recovery, now it is just a waiting game. Although they said "anything can happen" they expect everything to be fine.

Amazing to see God's hand at work here, and for my sake, and my family's sake, we are glad to have him a bit longer to poke fun at.

Again, thank you so much for the prayers and know that God is good even if my father would have died. He is in control, not us. God knows what is best for us, not us.

Soli Deo Gloria.

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Calvinism is Changing the World

This is pretty interesting. Time put out an article on 10 things changing the world right now and number 3 is Calvinism. For the entire article, you can click here. I thought this was pretty interesting and pretty honest from Time magazine. Take a gander:

By DAVID VAN BIEMA

If you really want to follow the development of conservative Christianity, track its musical hits. In the early 1900s you might have heard "The Old Rugged Cross," a celebration of the atonement. By the 1980s you could have shared the Jesus-is-my-buddy intimacy of "Shine, Jesus, Shine." And today, more and more top songs feature a God who is very big, while we are...well, hark the David Crowder Band: "I am full of earth/ You are heaven's worth/ I am stained with dirt/ Prone to depravity."

Calvinism is back, and not just musically. John Calvin's 16th century reply to medieval Catholicism's buy-your-way-out-of-purgatory excesses is Evangelicalism's latest success story, complete with an utterly sovereign and micromanaging deity, sinful and puny humanity, and the combination's logical consequence, predestination: the belief that before time's dawn, God decided whom he would save (or not), unaffected by any subsequent human action or decision.

Calvinism, cousin to the Reformation's other pillar, Lutheranism, is a bit less dour than its critics claim: it offers a rock-steady deity who orchestrates absolutely everything, including illness (or home foreclosure!), by a logic we may not understand but don't have to second-guess. Our satisfaction — and our purpose — is fulfilled simply by "glorifying" him. In the 1700s, Puritan preacher Jonathan Edwards invested Calvinism with a rapturous near mysticism. Yet it was soon overtaken in the U.S. by movements like Methodism that were more impressed with human will. Calvinist-descended liberal bodies like the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) discovered other emphases, while Evangelicalism's loss of appetite for rigid doctrine — and the triumph of that friendly, fuzzy Jesus — seemed to relegate hard-core Reformed preaching (Reformed operates as a loose synonym for Calvinist) to a few crotchety Southern churches.

No more. Neo-Calvinist ministers and authors don't operate quite on a Rick Warren scale. But, notes Ted Olsen, a managing editor at Christianity Today, "everyone knows where the energy and the passion are in the Evangelical world" — with the pioneering new-Calvinist John Piper of Minneapolis, Seattle's pugnacious Mark Driscoll and Albert Mohler, head of the Southern Seminary of the huge Southern Baptist Convention. The Calvinist-flavored ESV Study Bible sold out its first printing, and Reformed blogs like Between Two Worlds are among cyber-Christendom's hottest links.

Like the Calvinists, more moderate Evangelicals are exploring cures for the movement's doctrinal drift, but can't offer the same blanket assurance. "A lot of young people grew up in a culture of brokenness, divorce, drugs or sexual temptation," says Collin Hansen, author of Young, Restless, Reformed: A Journalist's Journey with the New Calvinists. "They have plenty of friends: what they need is a God." Mohler says, "The moment someone begins to define God's [being or actions] biblically, that person is drawn to conclusions that are traditionally classified as Calvinist." Of course, that presumption of inevitability has drawn accusations of arrogance and divisiveness since Calvin's time. Indeed, some of today's enthusiasts imply that non-Calvinists may actually not be Christians. Skirmishes among the Southern Baptists (who have a competing non-Calvinist camp) and online "flame wars" bode badly.

Calvin's 500th birthday will be this July. It will be interesting to see whether Calvin's latest legacy will be classic Protestant backbiting or whether, during these hard times, more Christians searching for security will submit their wills to the austerely demanding God of their country's infancy.

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Update on My Father

Here is the update on the pops...

His vitals are looking better and he is more alert. His blood pressure is around the more normal range without any aid of meds, just the old school body doing it's thing.

They gave him meds to lower his white blood cells because they were taking over his body. The CT scan revealed that the infection isn't localized but his entire abdomen has an infection within it. So, my mom doesn't think that surgery is possible. What will happen is that as the red and white blood cells start to rebuild the body will destroy the infection itself, which will cause immense pain to my father.

At this point, be praying that the body will destroy the infection itself and pray for my dad as this will cause him great pain and discomfort. From what they said, most, if not all, his major organs are inflamed.

My mom is staying at the hospital in his room and is very calm and patient and I have been praying with her. She continues to speak of the love of Jesus and the fact that God is in control and that his will, will be done and we need to trust in God, not what we see.

I will be going to see my parents tonight, but I will only be able to see him for possibly 5 to 10 seconds. Yeah...I said seconds. I will have to be in a full gown with mask on as he cannot get even the slightest germ from anyone at this point. Also, it is protection for me as his virus that he has is highly contagious.

Our God can be trusted and he knows what is best for us. He knows what is best for my father, he knows what is best for my mother and he knows especially the best way to scream his name among the nations.

Please be praying. Be praying that God's name will be exalted through this. We do not His will on my dad's health, but we do know that God's will is that his name be glorified in this. Please use this opportunity for the sake of Christ in any way you can.

My dad's situation is still vital, but even more vital are the souls who do not know Jesus. I love my father and I know him very well. And his goal in this life has always been that God would use his terrible health condition to show forth the glories of Christ. May I be so bold.

For His Glory Alone.

Seth.

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Please Pray for My Father

I have learned that my father is in serious condition at Virginia Mason hospital in Seattle. My father has gone what is called "Septic Shock." This is a serious condition which can shut down your organs. My dad has had over 15 major surgeries in his lifetime due to the affects of having both kinds of arthritis. One being degenerative bone loss and the other being one that causes pain in the joints. He is only 54 years old. About 3 months ago, he was going in for his third hip replacement when they found probable cause of a virus in his body. At that point they started him on anti virus medication to mitigate the risk of surgery while having an infection.

After this, through various tests, they found that the virus was located in his elbow and then started him on more meds. To make a long story short, the past few weeks they put him on a new medication to help with the anti-virus meds and he was becoming very sick from the meds. Yesterday, he started to become light-headed and passing out from time to time. He was admitted last night to ICU and this morning we have found out that he has a serious condition called "sepsis" and the body is now what they call "septic."

When I was about 9 years old this happened to him and the doctors were quite confused how he lived through it. This is, again, very worrisome for our family, but we depend on Christ for his provision and healing power. Please be praying for my family and for my father. Be also praying that Christ's glory would be seen through this and that those surrounding the situation would see the face of Christ in my family. We know that my father is in His hands and the devil can screw off, because he has no power in this situation. I have copied and pasted from wikipedia what it means when the body goes septic. If you have any questions, you can email me at smcbee at mcbeeadvisors dot com.

Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.
James 5:16

“You are My witnesses,” declares the Lord,
“And My servant whom I have chosen,
So that you may know and believe Me
And understand that I am He.
Before Me there was no God formed,
And there will be none after Me.
“I, even I, am the Lord,
And there is no savior besides Me.
“It is I who have declared and saved and proclaimed,
And there was no strange god among you;
So you are My witnesses,” declares the Lord,
“And I am God.
“Even from eternity I am He,
And there is none who can deliver out of My hand;
I act and who can reverse it?”
Isaiah 43:10-13

Septic shock is a serious medical condition caused by decreased tissue perfusion and oxygen delivery as a result of infection and sepsis, though the microbe may be systemic or localized to a particular site[1]. It can cause multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (formerly known as multiple organ failure) and death. Its most common victims are children, immunocompromised individuals, and the elderly, as their immune systems cannot deal with the infection as effectively as those of healthy adults. The mortality rate from septic shock is approximately 50%.

Types

A subclass of distributive shock, shock refers specifically to decreased tissue perfusion resulting in end-organ dysfunction. Cytokines TNFα, IL-1β, IL-6 released in a large scale inflammatory response results in massive vasodilation, increased capillary permeability, decreased systemic vascular resistance, and hypotension. Hypotension reduces tissue perfusion pressure and thus tissue hypoxia ensues[1]. Finally, in an attempt to offset decreased blood pressure, ventricular dilatation and myocardial dysfunction will occur[1].

Causes

The process of infection by bacteria or fungi can result in systemic signs and symptoms that are variously described. Approximately 70% of septic shock cases are due to gram-negative bacilli that produce endotoxins[1]. In rough order of increasing severity, these are bacteremia or fungemia; septicemia; sepsis, severe sepsis or sepsis syndrome; septic shock; refractory septic shock; multiple organ dysfunction syndrome, and death.

The condition develops as a response to certain microbial molecules which trigger the production and release of cellular mediators, such as tumor necrosis factors (TNF); these act to stimulate immune response. Besides TNFα, other cytokines involved in the development of septic shock include interleukin-1β, interleukin-6 and interleukin-8.


Treatment

Treatment primarily consists of the following.

Volume resuscitation.
Early antibiotic administration.
Rapid source identification and control.
Support of major organ dysfunction.
Among the choices for pressors, a randomized controlled trial concluded that there was no difference between norepinephrine (plus dobutamine as needed for cardiac output) versus epinephrine.

However dopamine has more beta adrenergic activity and therefore is more likely to cause arrhythmia or myocardial infarction.

Antimediator agents may be of some limited use in severe clinical situations:

Low dose steroids (hydrocortisone) for 5 - 7 days lead to improved outcomes.
Recombinant activated protein C (drotrecogin alpha) has been shown in large randomized clinical trials to be associated with reduced mortality (Number needed to treat (NNT) of 16) in patients with multi-organ failure. If this is given, heparin should probably be continued.

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God Doesn't Need You, But He Does Desire You

Yesterday I posted some pretty harsh realities, but it was to set up today's post. We must understand the realities of God and the fact that he really has no need for us in any way. Hopefully, you will see how this actually exemplefies his love for us. The best way to show how this should affect us comes pretty practical and probably close to home for most of us.

Have you ever had one of those times where someone asked you to come over to their house for dinner or come over to spend some time with them. I know we have all had this happen to some extent. But, have you ever gone over to the person's house to only find out that what they really wanted, wasn't you, but your skills? So, dinner is over your sitting kicking around different topics and then all the sudden the person has a project that they need your help on. For me, since I am in investments and investment planning, this has happened to where what they really wanted was free advice on investment planning, not a casual evening of communion and fellowship. I have seen this also happen with others who are very good with their hands and been invited over because the person really needed help on their car, house, etc.

The question then comes, how does that make you feel? The didn't really desire to have you come over for fellowhip, but because the needed you and your skills. There was a selfish reason for you to be over there.

What about the opposite? When you have been invited over to someone's house that you totally respected and looked up to, and the only reason they wanted you over was to simply share an evening with you and your family. If one were to look from the outside, both of these evenings might look exactly the same. Dinner, conversations, laughs, etc. But, for you, the one being invited, the evenings are far different. The one who doesn't "need" you to be there, but desires your fellowship is far more important and humbling. When you find out that the person merely invited you over because you were needed, emotions change. You realize that the old bait and switch has happened, and you were caught. Yes, you got a meail, but you are no different than the fish who ate the worm to only find a silver hook within.

Yesterday, we found that God doesn't need us. But think of this, although he doesn't need us, he still desires our fellowship. He is like the one who invited you over for dinner because he just wants to spend time with you. This is amazing. Now, like all illustrations, this isn't perfect, because we are to worship God and glorify him. But, the fact that he has no bait and switch should cause us to be floored at his love for us.

God desires us to turn to him and be saved. Not because he needs us, but because he desires for us to live and not die.

Turn to Me and be saved, all the ends of the earth; For I am God, and there is no other.
Isaiah 45:22

Do I have any pleasure in the death of the wicked,” declares the Lord God, “rather than that he should turn from his ways and live?
Ezekiel 18:23

God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
1 Corinthians 1:9

what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ.
1 John 1:3

God desires for us to turn and repent so that we can have fellowship with him. Not because he needs us, but because he loves us. Even our prayers are said to be bowls of incense. This is pleasing to God because prayer involves us fellowshiping and conversing with our God.

When He had taken the book, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each one holding a harp and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.
Revelation 5:8

Know that God is in complete control, that nothing can deter his hand, that he does not need you. But, do not let this be a cause for stumbling, do not let this be a cause of great depression, but of joy. Because although God doesn't need you, he sent his Son to die for you because his desire was for us to be with Him:

But the Lord was pleased
To crush Him, putting Him to grief;
If He would render Himself as a guilt offering,
He will see His offspring,
He will prolong His days,
And the good pleasure of the Lord will prosper in His hand.
Isaiah 53:10

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Best prank I have ever seen

Watch Prank War 7: The Half Million Dollar Shot and more funny videos on CollegeHumor

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Abortion Clinic Throws Away Live Baby

This is seriously sickening. Although this incident happened during the Bush administration, I still wonder how Obama reacts to things like this. If you read my blog all that often you know that I am not a fan of George "I said Jesus to get votes" Bush and I also have some issues with Obama as well. I also am not posting this story as proof of why abortion is wrong and sick. But this has to be startling for us. Read the story and then realize that this guy killed a real, live, human baby and at the most will only get 15 years! How is this possible? He murdered a human by torturing him or her. He put a live baby in a biohazard bag with the afterbirth. They can't determine how the baby died, but however the baby died it was a form of torture and abuse. What is insane is that this is about the time these teens got for torturing and killing a puppy. So now puppies and humans are equals?

I am very saddened to hear stories like this and wonder how far this has to go before people see the murder that is happening. I honestly pray for this "doctor" and pray that he would see the error of his ways and turn to Jesus. Because, at this point, he is a murderer and will be in hell forever. The grace that is found in this story is that the baby will be heaven, where there will be no torture and no pain. Below is the story.

The Associated Press
6:55 AM EST, March 4, 2009

MIAMI - An abortion clinic owner is accused of delivering a live baby during a botched procedure and then throwing the infant away.

Belkis Gonzalez, 42, was arrested Tuesday and charged with practicing medicine without a license and tampering with evidence, both felonies, said Ed Griffith, a spokesman for the Miami-Dade State Attorney's office. If found guilty, Gonzalez would face at least a year in prison and up to 15 years.

The teenage mother, Sycloria Williams, has filed a lawsuit alleging that Gonzalez knocked the infant off the chair where she had given birth, and then scooped the baby, placenta and afterbirth into a red plastic biohazard bag, and threw it out.

The clinic's doctor, Dr. Pierre Jean-Jacque Renelique, had been scheduled to perform the procedure, but Williams went into labor after being given drugs to dilate her cervix and waiting for hours for Renelique to arrive, the suit said. The doctor has said he had been on his way to the Hialeah clinic when he was called to treat another patient who was bleeding.

Last month, the Board of Medicine revoked Renelique's license for committing medical malpractice, delegating responsibility to unlicensed personnel and failing to keep an accurate medical record.

Williams was 23 weeks pregnant when the incident happened in 2006.

Authorities were unable to definitively determine the cause of death -- and Gonzalez's role in it -- because the baby's body had decomposed by the time it was found eight days later, said Griffith, the attorney's office spokesman.

Gonzalez was being held on $50,000 bond. A hearing was scheduled for this morning. It was unclear if she had an attorney.

HT: Th'eternal Promise

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God Doesn't Need You

I know the title of this post isn't the most uplifting, but for whatever reason, some of us have this idea that God actually needs us. As though He couldn't function without us. Like we are some special needs he has to have. Although we might be "special needs" it isn't the way we would like it. The special needs we bring to the table, involves a helmet and a short bus.

I find in my life, times where I secretly think that those around me are so lucky to have me and wonder how God could work in their lives if I wasn't around. Amazing how prideful and arrogant I can become when, in reality, God is the only reason that my next breath is taken.

Theologically, this isn't hard to prove. It becomes quite obvious we can't alter the future or the past with our efforts. Although Arminians are like Michael J. Fox in Back to the Future, thinking that if they just get a Delorean and a puffy vest, they could fix what God screwed up. The fact is, we can't, no matter how much Arminians take their theology from awesome 80's movies, God doesn't need us.

Theologically God tells us:

“Even from eternity I am He, And there is none who can deliver out of My hand;
I act and who can reverse it?”
Isaiah 43:13

“For the Lord of hosts has planned, and who can frustrate it? And as for His stretched-out hand, who can turn it back?”
Isaiah 14:27

“O Lord, the God of our fathers, are You not God in the heavens? And are You not ruler over all the kingdoms of the nations? Power and might are in Your hand so that no one can stand against You.
2 Chronicles 20:6

“Were He to snatch away, who could restrain Him? Who could say to Him, ‘What are You doing?’ Job 9:12


There are many other verses, but I hope you get the point. God can act whenever he wants, whether you are alive or dead, awake or asleep, Arminian or Marty McFly.

But why do we get this idea that God is in heaven looking down so proud of his super hero pastor or Christian that he has to rely on? I know most of us wouldn't admit to this out loud, but why do we practically get so high on ourselves?

I think for the most part it is because we are far from the cross and close to our self. Christ tells us that if we are to walk with him we must deny ourselves and take up our cross. If we are not cross centered in everything we do, we will find ourselves focusing on self instead. If we don't have the cross taken up in our arms, they will be filled with something else instead, which is idol worship. We will compare ourselves with others, making ourselves look like we are more sanctified because we use words like missional, propitiation and inerrant. Or we will find ourselves to be loved by God more because we have man crushes on Piper, Driscoll and CJ Mahaney.

What I find interesting is that although Isaiah was a man of God, used by God as his mouthpiece to a bunch of morons who loved worshiping golden heifers instead of Christ, he still fell to his face when he became cross centered in a mere second.

We don't know everything that Isaiah saw while in heaven in Isaiah 6, but we do know that He saw our King Jesus, and in that second he was forced to understand why the closer he drew to Christ the further his sin cast him onto his face. There was no time for Isaiah to think of himself as higher than the defunct family in Israel. There was no time for Isaiah to prove that he was better than those creating damnable legalistic sacrifices. He had no time, because Jesus was on his throne before his eyes. His salvation was before him and all Isaiah knew was that everything else was skubalon compared to seeing Jesus, our Lamb, our sacrifice, our cross bearer.

At this point, Isaiah understood that Jesus didn't need him, he needed Jesus.

The question must be asked, do I really believe that I still need Jesus, or do I practically believe that Jesus needs me? What am I carrying around in my life that isn't the cross? We must daily take up our cross and crucify our self, and live for Christ. Without a daily dying to self, we will be daily exalting self. The more we exalt self, the further away the cross of Christ is in our eyes and the more we will think that God needs us.

But in the end, know that no matter how much you think it, God doesn't need you, you need him.

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Don't Waste Your Life Commercial: Emcee Battle

Pretty funny...watch it all the way through...

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Responding to Haters

Ministry is an odd duck, as life is. It seems as though no matter how much you feel like you are on track and doing things "correctly" it only takes one person to knock you off course. For whatever reason I have chosen a pretty strange mix of "professions." On my actual vocation side, I am an investment advisor. I have been for 10 years now. I used to be called a stockbroker, but that term is like telling a stay at home mom that she doesn't work for a living. But, when someone doesn't know what I do, I just tell them that I am a stockbroker and then they kind of "get it." On the other side, my non-paid job is a youth director at my church and also a lay leader. What I have noticed throughout the years is that for whatever reason, in both cases, it just takes one person to make you feel as though you aren't doing things correctly and then the focus is turned to that one person as though they are your validation. And by the way, it seems like I get attacked more at church than with my worldly clients, but that is a different subject.

For instance. I have around 300 clients. But if one calls in and complains, all my focus turns to that one person's thoughts, thinking that all my other clients feel the same exact way. What I have had to realize over the years, is that this is just not the case. The same thing can happen in ministry. We can get caught up in one person's opinions about our ministry thinking that their outbursts of anger against us, is what everyone else feels. In an instance, you can go from serving the Lord with a good heart, singing weird praise songs with a goofy smile on your face, to wondering if Jesus still loves you and wondering how the flames of hell are going to feel like.

In both cases I have learned a lot. In both cases I also still need to learn a lot. Here are some things that I try and do everytime I get that "call" from a client, or the outburst of crazy anger served with hypocrisy on the side from a Christian brother or sister.

1. I pause and pray for God's direction and insight

God knows us best, and He lives within us. I know this is kool aid theology for most of us, but do we live this out when it is needed most? Whether the outburst or accusations are true and honorable is one thing, but asking God to direct us to the truth is another. So, I simply pray for whatever truth is being said in anger to be brought to my attention so that I can fix it.

2. I pause and pray for the other person

We are not to respond in evil, but in good. I have Christian clients and non-Christian ones. I pray to God that through this, his glory will be shown to them. I have people that I serve that are Christian and who are non-Christian, so I pray that his glory will be shown to them as well. This also helps me remember that they, like I, are a sinner and need Jesus.

3. Go to someone who gives godly counsel

After I have prayed through this, I go to someone I know will help me with my flesh of wanting my accusers to get run over by a truck. For my business, this is my father. We work together, so I go to him and we discuss things to bring things back to reality and to also reassess what we are doing to make sure we are on track. For ministry, there are a myriad of people I go to, to see if what I am doing is for the glory of God, or for the glory of self. Just like any joke, usually has some truth mixed in, so do accusations. This is why you need an honest person that you can go to. They will usually be able to weigh in what truths are found in the accusation and which ones are just said out of anger.

4. Seek Change

Give it the correct amount of time to weigh the matters brought up and seek where you need to change, if any. If there is some, then start those changes ASAP. If the accusations were out of complete anger and with no amount of truth, then don't change for the sake of the other person or for the sake of change. Change because the Spirit has convicted you do so, not because a wolf is attacking you.

5. Seek Reconciliation

This sucks. It really does. All I want from someone who comes at me angrily is that I get to tell them off and then they go away. This is just me being honest. But, it is not godly. After all the above has happened, look for an opening to reconcile. Tell the person where you have decided to change, or decided not to change and why. Also bring to them the ways that they have also sinned through this and a better way to handle their accusations in the future. Do this carefully, because this person already thinks you suck, so they usually don't want to hear that they suck too. But, you must make sure that they don't feel like the end gives them confirmation on the means. You don't want this person to now use what they did, to go to others and do the same.

In business, I have gone to clients who freaked out on me and just talked to them and let them know where I have changed, or not and then asked them to handle it better next time. Usually this works very well and usually their outburst was more emotional than rational. By doing this, they see Jesus. My clients see the meek and mildness of Christ lived out. Then, when I decide to share the gospel with them, the door is opened wider.

In church, this usually always works out well. Sometimes it does not, but for the most part people are just frustrated and need some guidance. Again, this is my chance to show this person what a man of God is. A man of God is not someone who reacts with emotionally charged rants, but one who reacts with a humble heart knowing that Jesus' fame is more important than his self esteem.

We are all in the same business. We are in the business of working with, and alongside, sinners. The main thing is that we forget that we are also sinners. Remember that the person accusing you wrongly is just like you, not different. The way that you can show difference is by who you put your trust in. If it is in yourself, then you will yell at them wanting them to be target practice for oncoming traffic. If it is Jesus, then you will want them to see the face of Jesus in this life and the next. You will want to direct them to Jesus by your words and your reactions.

May we all seek the face of Christ for not only ourselves, but also to those who hurt us terribly.

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